


Sounds of the Night

by writing_regen



Series: Communication Would Fix AT LEAST 90% Of Your Problems [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Camping, Character Study, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Post-Episode: e018-e027 Petals to the Metal Parts 1-10, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Indulgent, They love each other, i really love their dynamic okay, magnus is sweetie and we love him, so not a lot of spoilers, taako has ptsd, taako hates crickets, taako says the fuck word a lot, takes place between petals to the metal and crystal kingdom, they just suck at showing it, tres horny boys bonding, you can pry that from my cold dead body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 17:44:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17268587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_regen/pseuds/writing_regen
Summary: The noise was outside. If he looked for more than two seconds he could probably find a cricket. It was not a sound in his mind. It was quiet and calm. It wasn’t all-encompassing and inescapable, syncing to his heartbeat and overriding every instinct in him screaming to just stop, stay still, don’t unbuckle that, stop, stop, st-Or: No one talks about the fact Taako was almost forced to kill himself in Petals to the Metal so I'm going to





	Sounds of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> This headcanon came to my brain the moment I heard the episode and I had to write it down

Discovering trauma while attempting to enjoy one of the few rests he’d been able to steal during this mission was decidedly one of the worst betrayals he’d experienced at the hand of his own mind. And there had been quite a few. Including but not limited to actually getting attached to the two dunces sleeping around the small fire. Seriously, when had he allowed _that_ to happen?

Most people would find the quiet night scenic, serene even. Stars glittered over his head through the openings in the leaves. Beneath him, the grass rustled slightly when he shifted, stirred by a gentle breeze that sent strands of blond hair that had escaped his braid fluttering. The weather was mild, which was a small miracle. Taako didn’t think he could handle being huddled for warmth at the moment. In fact, every time it happened he wondered whether freezing to death would be a more desirable fate. With a quiet groan he sat up and with a wave of his hand the fire crackled back to life from the embers the night had reduced it to.

The soft pop of the wood permeated the not-so quiet night and some of the tension faded from the elf’s shoulders as he ran a hand over his face, in exhaustion or exasperation he wasn’t sure.

The forest was ripe with the sound of nocturnal creatures. Owls hooted, and branches snapped as predators stalked through the foliage, causing his ears to twitch with every movement. Above all the noise, there was the distinct sound of crickets chirping from all around their campsite, cheery and picturesque.

Except it wasn’t. Each chirp caused nerves to coil around his spine and rushed straight to his head. Ears pinned back nearly flush with his head he curled one hand into the grass, allowing the tickle of the blades to ground him in the present and keep the ghosts of dust from choking his lungs and the wind from blinding his sight.

The noise was outside. If he looked for more than two seconds he could probably find a cricket. It was not a sound in his mind. It was quiet and calm. It wasn’t all-encompassing and inescapable, syncing to his heartbeat and overriding every instinct in him screaming to just stop, stay still, _don’t unbuckle that, stop, stop, st-_

With a snarl, he abruptly rose to his feet, hands clenched in fists tight enough to leave half-moon indents in his palms, and staunchly ignoring the way the panic ate at his mind as he whisked away from the small circle of light. He knew he was searching, but for what he wasn’t sure.

He wasn’t sure how long he wandered, but eventually he came across a small river, bubbling and gurgling and blissfully unaware of the turmoil that had stumbled on its shores. Frustration fought against the lingering panic in his system, anger at letting the _sound of fucking bugs do this to you, Taako come on you’re **better** than this._

Without thinking he turned and slammed a fist into the closest tree, immediately spitting out curses at the pain that radiated up his arm at the action.

“Fuck! Shit! I mean… come on! This - I - I can’t seriously be afraid of some goddamn _crickets_! Just because some piece of shit in a mask had a hard-on for messing with people’s brains, I mean come on it’s not like it would be the first time.” Once the stream of words started, he was hard-pressed to stop it, and the laughter that bubbled out of his throat was sharp and full of broken edges, hysterical and mysteriously watery, “I mean, gods, I can’t do this! I’m _Taako_! I can’t let people know I’m afraid of… of _bugs_!”

Letting out a long breath he sank to his knees at the rocky edge of the stream, gazing at his distorted reflection in the flowing water. He wrinkled his nose at what he saw, swiping aggressively at his face and scoffing at the signs of fatigue around his eyes.

“Great. Now I’m going crazy because of some stupid battle wagon race that was _weeks_ ago. It was so much easier to ignore on the moon.” He mumbled, turning away from the sight and rocking back onto his heels with a huff.

Immediately the following silence ushered in a new chorus of song from nature and his ears drooped as the anger drained out of him. Every noise grated against his eardrums and not for the first time he cursed the sensitivity of his pointed ears.

It wasn’t long before a much closer sound became apparent, a sound much easier to focus on than the monotonous intonation spread through the night. Leaves crunched and branches snapped under the sound of heavy footsteps making no attempt to be stealthy. Taako sprang to his feet, making one frantic swipe over his eyes and cursing the fact he hadn’t thought to grab his umbrastaff before abandoning the relative safety of the campsite.

“Buddy, I am so not in the mood to wreck somebody’s shit right now.” He called out, doing his best to sound intimidating, hiding his earlier panic under a thick layer of cool nonchalance.

There was a short pause before a familiar voice called out incredulously, “Taako? What are you doing out here? Besides, I know you left the umbrella by the fire.”

“Magnus? What the hell are you doing out here?” Taako dropped his defensive stance to stare bewildered into the trees as the fighter pushed branches aside to join Taako on the narrow outlet, looking an odd mix of concerned, confused, and sheepish.

“I needed to pee.”

“You… you - then what are you doing making small talk? Go piss!”

“I already did! Then I realized I may have been just a little tiny bit lost.”

“It’s a miracle you’ve survived this long.”

“Ditto.”

“Did I ever tell you how much I hate most of the words that come out of your mouth?”

“Yeah, but you don’t mean it!”

“No, no, I definitely mean it.”

“And yet you still stick with us.”

“I really don’t have a choice.”

“‘Cept you do and we both know it.”

Rather than refute the statement Taako just sent a pointed glare at Magnus to counteract his toothy grin.

“Was there a point to this conversation, Magnus?”

“Well, I mean no not really. If you do recall I found you on accident.” The man paused and looked Taako over, brow knitting in concern at what he saw, “You look like shit. Wh-”

“Thanks.”

“No, let me finish. What are you doing out here with your mascara running?”

“Is my -? Shit.” Taako hissed and quickly covered up the evidence with a Disguise Self, “It’s none of your business.”

Magnus rolled his eyes and threw an arm over Taako’s shoulders, who quickly ducked out of the contact, although the fighter seemed unperturbed, “Come on buddy! We’re friends. You can tell me.”

“Are we, though? Look, it doesn’t matter, okay?” He knew the response was defensive and sharp and only make the fighter more curious, but damn it he was tired, and frustrated and just wanted to be able to _go the fuck to sleep without a panic attack thank you very much._

To his surprise, Magnus just held up his hands placatingly and asked, “Well… do you think you can get us back to camp?”

Taako scoffed and swept past him, “Of course I can get us back to camp. What do you take me for?”

It took a little while of searching aimlessly and casual reassurances that “Yes, I know where I’m going.” Before Taako spotted the faint flickering of a firelight in the distance and straightened up, leading them through the trees with a new wave of confidence.

“Get lost?” Merle asked the moment they stepped into the light.

“Of course you’re awake. Cause that’s just how my night is going. Lovely.” Taako greeted in return, collapsing to the grass with a huff.

Magnus just offered a shrug as an answer and settled on Taako’s other side.

After a while, the lack of dick jokes was getting a little disturbing. The elf could only take the quiet so long before he started to get twitchy again, _god wouldn’t those damn bugs just shut up?_

He was fairly certain Merle had fallen asleep again when he murmured, “You guys remember that whole battle wagon race, right?”

Magnus scoffed, “You mean how we totally kicked butt in it?”

Much to his chagrin, Merle chimed, “Uh, yeah, and I totally saved both your asses with a wicked healing spell.”

Taako raised an eyebrow and glanced at the dwarf, “I mean it was kinda shitty, but yeah sure, whatever.” His gaze flickers back to the fire before he continues, soft again, “So you all remember that whole, ‘wow weird cricket dudes can control minds and shit?’ thing?”

Affirming hums echo around the campfire, but neither make a comment.

“Cool, cool. Well, it’s fine but uh… that experience came with its own soundtrack, you know? They really were going to die on that cricket aesthetic. I mean, while almost killing myself I got the lovely background noise of those chirping bastards. Loud as all hell too, like… bass boosted to shit.” His tone was cool and detached as he wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on top and keeping his eyes firmly set on the shifting colors of the fire, “So like, camping in the forest. Got a lot of ‘em here. Gotta say Taako is not a fan.”

There was a short moment of quiet, “So you’re saying the bugs are fucking with your head.”

“Merle, come on man.”

“What? It’s true!”

Taako sighed and finally allowed his gaze to shift between the two of them, “I mean… yeah, I guess."

Merle smiled and shifted closer to the curled elf, who attempted to scoot away only to bump into Magnus.

“We’ll cheer you up!” The dwarf assured.

“Oh yeah, totally. That’s the Magnus special!”

“Oh gods. Just kill me now it would hurt less.”

But his complaints fell on deaf ears. The rest of the night passed with Taako trapped between the other two members of the party, who were exchanging terrible jokes, recounting their adventures together, and to his horror, singing old songs together at the top of their lungs, the off-tune and horrible sounds echoing through the trees.

Taako would deny till the end of his life that he had to fight the grateful smile attempting to twitch the corners of his lips up as he sat there, the sounds of the forest drowned out by the two loud voices. He would deny ever joining in. He would ignore the light feeling that warmed his chest even as they were all exhausted the next morning. And they would let him - most of the time. And well, if one Candlenights Taako found a small package containing specially made ear muffs to help him sleep on their missions? No one needed to know about that.

No one needed to know about the hand-decorated pastries the other two found on their beds that night either.

**Author's Note:**

> can you tell i really like dialogue breaks


End file.
